Knock-down picnic box or the like



Nov. 13, 1962 F. s. HARE KNOCK-DOWN PICNIC BOX OR THE LIKE Filed May 29 196].

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Frances 5. Hare 5- WWL ATTORNEY Nov. 13, 1962 F. s. HARE KNOCK-DOWN PICNIC BOX OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 29, 1961 lm 4 2 .H 6 Z w wr, w o u n l9 2 0 2 n m 1H ll]! m ,1. a F u W kh Z v 5 7 n, 0 m lilflw i W a 6 2 Frances .5. Hare ATTGRNEY United States Patent Office 3,%3,771 Patented Nov. 13, 1962 3,063,771 KNGfii-DGWN PEQNIC 30X 9R THE LIKE Frances S. Hare, 1 .0. Box 5, Piclrens, S.C. Fiied May 29, 1961, Ser. No. 113,460 3 Claims. (Ci. 312-264) The present invention relates broadly to food storage receptacles, and more particularly to a novel and simplified picnic box or receptacle.

An object of the invention is to provide a picnic box or the like of the knock-down type, which will occupy the least possible space when not in use, and which may be readily set up for use without the aid of any tools whatsoever or any special fastener elements separate from the component parts of the picnic box.

Another important object is to provide a knock-down food storage receptacle having structural components which coact in assembly to render the entire receptacle rigid and sturdy, said components being quickly separable to facilitate quickly collapsing the receptacle at the desired time.

Another important object is to provide a picnic box or the like which will hold the maximum amount of food for a given size or volume of storage space, and including novel coacting food receptacle and shelf means to prevent spilling or shifting about of the food units contained within the box or receptacle.

A further object is to provide a device of the mentioned character which is readily portable, lightweight, easy to clean, rugged and durable and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a knock-down picnic box or receptacle embodying the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a central vertical section taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FiGURE 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2,

FEGURE 4 is a fragmentary corner perspective view of the receptacle,

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary Vertical section taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 66 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of shelf attaching and support means embodied in the invention,

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical section further illustrating the shelf support means,

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a food package or box employed in connection with the shelves according to the invention.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 11) designates a flat rectangular bottom wall for the receptacle, formed of sheet metal or the like, and being somewhat elongated and provided at its opposite ends with short depending vertical flanges 11, integral therewith and extending for the entire width of the bottom wall 10.

The flanges 11 are snugly received slidably within elongated U-shaped upwardly opening socket extensions 12, carried by the lower ends of rectangular upstanding receptacle end walls 13 and 14. The end walls 13 and 14 carry integral laterally inwardly directed narrow vertical flanges 15 which extend from the top edges of the end walls 13 and 14 to points just above the U-shaped socket extensions 12. The lower ends 16 of flanges 15 overlie edge portions of the bottom wall 10 in assembly, and positively restrain the bottom wall against accidental upward movement.

The end walls 13 and 14 are provided at several elevations above the bottom wall 10 and below the top of the receptacle with spaced pairs of inwardly projecting headed studs 17, suitably rigidly secured thereto. These headed studs constitute attachment and support means for two or more horizontal rectangular shelves 18 which span the receptacle lengthwise and transversely between the end walls 13 and 14 and between the removable side walls to be described. Each shelf 18 has a relatively rigid marginal wire frame 19, provided at its opposite ends with spaced upstanding downwardly opening inverted V-shaped suspension loops 2i) integral therewith and snugly engageable over the shanks of the headed studs 17 and between the heads of the studs and the adjacent end walls 13 and 14. The studs 17 thus serve to support the shelves 18 bodily and the shelves 18 coact with the headed studs to rigidly interconnect the end walls 13 and 14 structurally in assembly. Each shelf 18 further comprises an open mesh latticework 21 of wire, formed conventionally and permanently secured by welding or the like to the marginal frame 19. The shelves 18 are substantially rigid and adapted to bear the weight of the food placed upon them without sagging or bending appreciably. The shelves 18 are parallel to each other and to the bottom wall 10 in assembly as shown.

A bottom shelf or tray 22 similar in construction to the shelves 18 may rest directly and removably upon the bottom wall 11) without positive attachment to the bottom wall or to the end walls 13 and 14. The bottom shelf 22 may have suitable feed 23 integrally formed thereon to space the same upwardly somewhat from the bottom wall 111. If preferred, the removable bottom shelf 22 may be omitted entirely.

A pair of readily removable substantially rigid rectangular vertical side walls 24 and 25, formed of wood, pressed fibrous material, plastics material or the like are engageable edgewise between the inner faces of vertical flanges 1S and the longitudinal margins of the several shelves 118 and 22 as shown in the drawings. The lower edges of the removable side walls 24 and 25 rest directly upon the bottom wall 10 near the longitudinal edges thereof, and the top edges of the side walls are preferably flush with the top edges of the end walls 13 and 14 and their flanges 15. The inner faces of the side walls 24 and 25 preferably snugly engage the longitudinal edges of the shelves 18 defined by the heavy marginal wire frames 19, and this engagement of the stiff side walls 24 and 25 between the flanges 1S and the adjacent edges of the shelves renders the entire receptacle or box further rigid and stable in assembly.

The picnic box or receptacle further embodies a flat rectangular top or cover 26 formed of sheet metal or the like and provided with a continuous short depending marginal flange 27 extending about all four sides of the same and engagea-ble over the upper edges of the end walls 13 and 14 and their flanges 15, as shown. The upper edges of the side walls 24 and 25 also lie inwardly of the depending flange 27 on the cover 26. The cover 26 is readily liftable from the box and may have a loose fit thereon or a somewhat snug fit if preferred.

The end walls 13 and 14- are preferably provided upon their outer sides and near and below their tops with suitable carrying handles 28 as shown.

Paper or plastic boxes 2% for food units such as sandwiches, cake, fruit or the like are provided. These boxes 29 may be formedv in various shapes and sizes to accommodate various food items. For the sake of simplicity, a single type only of food box is illustrated in the drawings. Each box 29 may have a snug fitting removable cover 30 to maintain the food securely within the box 29. Rigidly secured to the bottom of each box 29 near its corners are preferably spherical feet 31, somewhat smaller than the rectangular openings provided in the wire mesh shelves 1S and 22. The food boxes 29 containing the food units are placed upon the shelves 18 and 22 as illustrated in the drawings and the feet 31 of the individual food boxes anchor themselves within the rectangular openings of the wire mesh shelves so that the boxes 29 cannot slide or be displaced upon the shelves even when the picnic box is tilted through a rather steep angle in any direction or jarred or vibrated in any manner. This constitutes an important feature of the invention and allows for the storage of relatively large quantities of food within the knock-down receptacle, with assurance that the food will be maintained in a sanitary and undamaged condition during transport of the picnic box or receptacle to the picnic site. The food units in the individual boxes 2% may be packed tightly in these boxes and the boxes themselves will not move upon the shelves 18 and 22 due to the novel coaction between the feet 31 and the wire mesh shelves. Quite a large number of the boxes 29 may be placed upon the several shelves 18 and 22 as should now be obvious. Any desired number ofthe boxes 29 may be employed, and the remaining space within the receptacle not occupied by the boxes 29 may be utilized in any desired manner.

To completely knock-down or disassemble the box shown in the drawings, it is merely necessary to lift off the lid or cover 26, then lift the side walls 24 and 25 vertically edgewise until they are clear of the tops of the flanges 15. The shelves 18 are then disconnected from the headed studs 17 and the lower shelf 22, if used, is removed and the three shelves may be stacked with the side walls 24 and 25 and the cover 26. The bottom wall is now shifted laterally or edgewise relative to the end walls 13' and 14 to disengage its flanges 11 from the socket extensions 12 of the end walls. When this has been done, the bottom wall 10 and the end walls 13 and 14 may be stacked fiat upon the other panel-like elements of the picnic box. To assemble the picnic box, the abovedescribed steps are merely carried out in the reverse order, as is believed to be obvious in View of the foregoing description.

7 No tools whatsoever or loose fastener elements are required to completely assemble the box or to completely knock the box down to a flat compact condition for storage. The shelves 18 serve the dual purpose of supporting food and adding structural rigidity to the entire box through their engagement with the headed studs 17 of the end walls and through the engagement of their longitudinal edges witlrthe vertical side walls 24 and 25. The flanges 1S resist upward movement of the bottom wall 10 as previously stated, and the entire structure when assembled is rigid and strong and cannot come part accidentally or without following the disassembly procedure above outlined. The box is very sanitary and may be thoroughly cleaned while disassembled and is capable of storing a maximum amount of food in an efficient and sanitary manner during use.

it is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred exampie of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A knock-down food storage receptacle comprising a bottom wail having a pair of depending parallel flanges on opposite ends thereof, a pair of upstanding end walls each having reverted portions defining upwardly opening generally U-shaped channels on their lower ends adapted to receive said depending flanges endwise and slidably, inwardly directed vertical flanges on the opposite vertical edges of the end walls and having their lower ends overlying said bottom wall to prevent vertical movement thereof, inwardly projecting pairs of aligned headed studs on each of said end walls at a plurality of elevations, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal shelves for the storage receptacle disposed there in and having upstanding downwardly opening suspension loop elements engageable over said studs for supporting said shelves and to rigidly interconnect said upstanding end walls through said shelves, a pair of vertically positioned removable side walls for said storage receptacle engageable edgewise and vertically between the inner faces of the end wall flanges and the longitudinal edges of said shelves and having their opposite ends substantially abutting said end walls and their lower edges resting upon said bottom wall, anda readily removable cover for the storage receptacle having a marginal depending flange engageable over the end walls and side walls of the receptacle.

2. A knock-down picnic box or the like comprising a rectangular bottom wall having depending parallel flanges at opposite ends thereof, upstanding rectangular end walls each having upper and lower portions, the lower portions of each of said end walls having reverted portions defining U-shaped channels for interlocking engagement with said depending flanges, inwardly directed vertical flanges carried by the opposite sides of said end walls and having their lower ends overlying said bottom wall to prevent vertical movement thereof, aligned pairs of headed studs secured to the inner faces of each of the end walls at a plurality of elevations, shelves detachably suspended from said studs at said elevations and being horizontal and extending between and interconnecting said end walls and having longitudinal edges spaced somewhat from the flanges of the end walls, rectangular upstanding side walls removably engageable edgewise between the longitudinal edges of said shelves and the end wall flanges and slidably contacting the same and having their lower edges resting upon the bottom wall and their vertical ends substantially abutting the end walls inwardly of the end wall flanges, and a removable rectangular cover for the knock-down picnic box.

3. A knock-down picnic box or the like comprising a substantially horizontal rectangular bottom wall having short depending parallel flanges at opposite ends thereof, upstanding rectangular end walls extending above the bottom wall and having portions at the bottom defining upwardly opening channel extensions frictionally interlocked with said depending flanges, inwardly facing vertical flanges on the end walls at opposite sides thereof and having lower ends terminating above said channel extensions in overlying relation to the bottom wall, sup- .port elements carried by the inner faces of said end walls and spaced above the bottom wall, a shelf disposed horizontally above the bottom wall and extending between the end walls and engaging and supported by said elenients' of the end walls and interconnecting the end walls,

upstanding rectangular side walls disposed inwardly of the end wall flanges and between such flanges and the 6 longitudinal edges of said shelf and having lower edges 1,352,002 Jones Sept. 7, 1920 resting upon the bottom wall, and a removable cover for 1,397,269 Dodge Nov. 15, 19211 the top of the picnic box. 1,656,497 Paulson Jan. 17, 1928 l 2,048,212 Goulooze July 21, 1936 References Clled 1n the file of this patent 5 FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 549,357 Great Britain Nov. 18, 1942 949,204 Stiehl Feb. 15, 1910 640,580 Great Britain July 26, 1950 

